Sunday, May 27, 2007

Xmo Strata Boss Dishes the Dirt

The boss of a British company has written an explosive book accusing the sign industry of dirty tricks and giving customers 100 'awkward questions' to ask of sign companies.

MARDEN, England (PRWEB) February 1, 2008

Steve Martin, managing director of five year old sign installation and maintenance firm Xmo Strata, says the industry which pays his bills is 'riddled with malpractice' and its adherence to critical health and safety procedures is 'lamentable'.

'Safety, Quality, Tricks and Lies: dirty tricks in the British sign industry - and 100 things your sign company doesn't want you to ask' pulls no punches and is available on Amazon and from good book shops. Many of the scams he describes probably apply on a global basis.

The author says well over $600m is spent on signage in the UK alone - mainly by retailers and the fuel forecourt industry - but the sign industry is fragmented and is led by people with low business skills. Sign firms over-claim on their capabilities and credentials, managers rarely have formal business training, and the training of employees is negligible, he says.

The book outlines several specific frauds which are allegedly commonplace and includes contributions from a corporate investigator who has worked in the industry. It gives basic how-to-buy-signs-without-being-ripped off guidance (covering sign company credentials, financials and subcontracting, the contract, project management, health and safety, and dirty tricks) as well as checklists, useful website addresses, and details of relevant organisations.

The book costs USD 29.00 and is sold on most reputable book selling websites, including amazon. co. uk (http://www. amazon. co. uk/Safety-Quality-Tricks-Steve-Martin/dp/1845491 (http://www. amazon. co. uk/Safety-Quality-Tricks-Steve-Martin/dp/1845491) 726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201863229&sr=1-1)

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